Syrian Coalition officials said that the opposition’s High Negotiations Committee (HNC) discussed political transition and all related issues with the UN special envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura in Geneva.

Member of the Syrian Coalition’s political committee Hawass Khalil said that the talks with de Mistura included a lengthy discussion about the political transition and all related issues needed to accomplish it.

Khalil, who is also a member of the HNC’s delegation to Geneva, said there should be a firm commitment on the elimination of terrorism and that that should not be subject to negotiation. The opposition’s negotiating delegation is seeking to achieve political transition to restore security and stability to Syria, he added. Political transition is the only way to defeat terrorism and put an end to the war crimes being committed in Syria on a daily basis at the hands of the Iranian-backed foreign militias.

The HNC delegation also met with the Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov in Geneva on Wednesday. Osama Taljo, member of the Coalition’s political committee and the HNC said that both sides held constructive discussions about the importance of the political transition as being essential to ending the conflict; ridding Syria of terrorism and tyranny; and ousting foreign militias from all Syrian territory.

When Russia weigh in on the political process, it can push the process forward as it presents itself as a guarantor of the cease-fire agreement, Taljo said. He pointed out that the opposition stressed the importance of ensuring full respect for a cease-fire and raised the issue of ongoing truce violations by regime forces during the meeting with Gatilov.

The Russian veto of a draft resolution in the UN Security Council seeking to impose sanctions against the use of chemical weapons and on perpetrators of war crimes contradicts Russia’s role as a guarantor of the ceasefire agreement and a permanent member of the UN Security Council responsible for maintaining global peace and security. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)

The opposition’s High Negotiations Committee (HNC) reaffirmed commitment to the demands of the Syrian people for freedom and dignity, stressing that all its meetings in Geneva with the UN envoy to Syria focused on the need to bring about political transition in line with international resolutions on Syria.

During a teleconference between members of the HNC’s delegation to Geneva talks and activists in eastern Ghouta on Friday, HNC spokesman Salem Meslet said that the opposition negotiation delegation is keen on listen to the voice of the Syrian people at home. “We assure our people we would be guided by their demands and take the decisions that are acceptable to them,” Melset said.

Melset went on to say that HNC’s delegation to Geneva has set out its vison very clearly, adding that that the opposition will continue to press for political transition and the formation of a transitional governing body where Bashar Al-Assad and his associates do not have any role to play.

The HNC delegation submitted a report detailing the regime’s continued violations of the ceasefire to the United Nations, most notably in eastern Ghouta, the districts of Barzah, Qaboun, and Alwaer.

For their part, activists in eastern Ghouta stressed that Russia’s actions contradict its claims of playing the role of a guarantor of the ceasefire agreement, warning that Russia is now repeating what it did in Aleppo in other areas across Syria.

The activists emphasized confidence in the HNC as representing the demands of the Syrian people in Geneva talks, noting that the outcome of the Riyadh conference should remain the guideline for the opposition during negotiations. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)

Head of the delegation of the opposition’s High Negotiations Committee (HNC), Nasr Hariri, met with representatives of the EU countries in Geneva on Wednesday evening to discuss the course of negotiations aimed at bringing about political transition in Syria.

Hariri stressed the need for cooperation between the European Union and the United Nations to bolster the political process and to ensure that is does not drift away from its primary goal set out in the international resolutions, especially UNSC resolutions 2118 and 2254, that is political transition.

Hariri and other members of the HNC called upon the European Union to stand by the opposition’s negotiating delegation and support the political process, stressing the need for greater and more active role by the EU in Syria.

For their part, representatives of the European Union countries praised the HNC’ positive engagement in the political process in Geneva, reaffirming their continued support for the rights of the Syrian people to regain freedom and dignity. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)